The Secret To Overcoming Your Greatest Fear

Zondervan just released The Organic God in paperback and eBook. Reworking the manuscript gave me an opportunity to reflect on God’s faithfulness and goodness. I thought you might enjoy the following adaptation from the book:

Several years ago, I remember reaching a financial breaking point. Though I was owed a lot by clients, they had fallen behind on their accounts and now I was falling behind on mine. Though I cut back on every expense I could think of, I still didn’t have enough money to pay my bills including the electric bill. Worse, I needed to make a tax payment to the government that couldn’t be delayed.

As the deadline for the taxes approached, I felt the fear and anxiety grip my soul. I began to pray, asking God to provide. For more than 60 days, I walked to the mailbox hoping and praying that a check from a client, any client, would arrive. For more than 60 days, I went home empty-handed. Two days before the deadline, I just couldn’t take it any more.

Exhausted. Frustrated. Broke on the outside and broken on the inside.

I cried out to God in prayer, and all I heard was silence. [Tweet this]

I was ready to give up, but something kept me going. On that final day of the deadline, I followed the well-worn path to the mailbox only to discover a check—one that covered more than all my expenses, bills and needs—waiting for me. Our generous God provided.

Through that experience I discovered God as my provider in way that I had never known him before. Though my fear of lack was great, his provision was greater. My need did not escape his notice.[Tweet this]

All of us will face a fear of lack sometime in our life—whether it’s a lack of money, lack of relationships, lack of health, or lack of basic supplies. In those moments, fear will try to take over your heart, your mind, your soul and deplete you of life—like kudzu.

The truth is that no matter what you may be facing, our God is more than enough. When fear of any sort of lack tries to grip our heart, God invites to grow in our faith and knowledge of him. By turning to God in prayer through his word, we discover the power of his provision in our lives.[Tweet this]

Throughout the Bible, God is compared to a shepherd—one who provides and protects. In Psalm 23, we discover just how active God is in our lives. The Psalm opens with, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want” (Psalm 23:1) and goes on to display the many ways God provides for us including guidance, leadership, restoration, protection, comfort, blessing and assurance.

Have you ever considered just how active God is in our lives? Consider for a moment a few of the verbs of God found in scripture:

No matter what fear or doubt you may be facing—no matter what lack—you can be assured that you have not escaped His notice. The key to overcoming your greatest is fear is remembering just how active God is in your life. He is wildly engaged and working on your behalf. God has not just gone with you in this situation, He has gone before you. And He will provide and protect.

Thanks for this wonder-full post Margaret! Both yesterday and today’s posts were just what I needed to hear and be reminded of during this time in my life . . . and I know this is not a coincidence. Thanks be to God!

As always, a HUGE thank you, Margaret. I didn’t get a chance to read this post until this morning, but the content was EXACTLY WHAT I needed, WHEN I needed most to hear/read it. I’m so grateful to God for you. Your inspired words always encourage, strengthen, convict and comfort me.

Thanks for your reflections, Margaret! Your written vulnerability & insight encourage me to not fear the future & to trust God more. I thank God for you! (BTW…heard your voice on the radio the day, & said out loud “THAT’S MARGARET!”)

This is my personal translation of Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my Shepherd. I have all the time I need.” Can you guess what my area of “lack” is that I struggle to believe will be taken care of? Reading the Bible in 40 Days really helped with this. Amazingly, everything that needed to be done, got done.